Political Quotes

“Mr. President, for the third time in a week, I must object to another short-term Federal Aviation Administration extension. I want to make it absolutely clear that a long-term FAA reauthorization is a priority for this country, and it is a priority for me. The current lapse in FAA taxes and expenditure authority from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund is a detrimental situation brought on by the Senate majority's refusal to engage in substantive negotiations on a long-term FAA reauthorization bill, which, by the way, did pass the House. Additionally, it is not clear to me that the legislation just offered would avoid a retroactive tax increase on travelers. I didn't set out to cause FAA taxes to expire, but reinstating them on a retroactive basis is more than I am willing to subject taxpayers to. As I have already said, I share House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Mica's frustration, and the frustration of Republican leadership in both the House and Senate, that favors to organized labor have overshadowed the prospects for long-term FAA reauthorization. Last year, the National Mediation Board changed the rules under which employees of airlines and railroads are able to unionize. For decades, the standard has been that a majority of employees would have to agree in an election to form a union. However, the new NMB--National Mediation Board--rules change that standard so that all it takes to unionize is a majority of employees voting.…”